


Pleasant and the Unexpected Surprises

by Moody_Akira



Series: The Ricochet Theory [1]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Drabble, F/M, Gift, Hate Sex, Non Explicit, Porn With Plot, Violence, gnarly asf cliffhangers, kinda vanilla, sex in general, sin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-31
Updated: 2016-02-16
Packaged: 2018-04-12 04:12:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 17,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4465028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moody_Akira/pseuds/Moody_Akira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She never stopped talking. She NEVER left him alone. What does he do? He snaps.</p><p>A series of hate and angry sex. And Nathan feeling things he's never felt before, while uncovering the dismal tale of Rachel Amber while defeating his own demons.</p><p>DISCONTINUED.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> A gift for the whole Caulscott fandom. And for Mark (nathanprescxtt.tumblr.com). I'll write more later. Enjoy.

Max should have not been alone that night. She made a grave mistake when she found Nathan near her dorm. And how did she know that she and him were going to tear at each other’s throats “You’re such a nosy bitch, Max! You’re always just getting your fucking grimy hands into everyone else’s business!” Nathan roared.

“Oh really? So you beating up my friend is getting in someone else’s business, Nathan? Someone drugging my friend is being a nosey bitch?” Max retorted back,angrily.

His blood was boiling at this point, and her stupid mouth kept running about shit he did not want to hear about. Why. Why won’t she just shut the fuck up?!

“You’re nothing but a damned coward, Nathan Prescott,” Max spat. Her face was just one of pure hatred and disgust.   
And then his nerves took over him. Nathan let out a loud growl of frustration and pinned her against the wall with a loud thud. Max openly yelped and winced at the harsh contact of stucco to her back.

“Shut. The. Fuck. Up. You don’t know shit, Caufield. And you need to learn how to shut your fucking mouth,” Nathan hissed, nearing her for his weird intimidation purposes.

“You can’t make me,” she spat back.

* * *

They did not expect this to happen in the slightest.

Nathan had no idea why or even how he ended up in Max’s bedroom, pulling her hair and biting her shoulder. Her nails raked down his back, making him almost bleed. Her soft yelps were something he never expected to hear come out of her mouth. She isn’t the most beautiful girl he slept with but something about her was...intoxicating. And he hated her so much...she never shut her damn mouth and she always pissed him off all the time.

But she was the calm to a storm that he was becoming. Max was pure and he wanted to wreck her. The frustration that built up in him for so long and Max was an outlet for him.

Their movements were sloppy, uncoordinated and harsh. Teeth and nails were piercing skin.

“Nathan...fuck..I…” Max was a virgin. And Nathan was anything but gentle. The weirdest part? She didn’t mind it in the slightest.  But he didn’t forget protection. But, the harshness of it all...the roughness...the sheer hatred that was being exchanged between them was--

“Max...fuck...I’m going to…”  
“Don’t you dare,not yet,” she hissed, pulling his hair, biting his neck, hard.

“Don’t. Tell. Me. What. To. Do!” he yelled, grabbing her, punctuating every word with his harsh movements. His thumbs left bruises on her hips.

Her cries were ones of bliss and pain. Nathan loved them. Her release triggered his own, making him cry out her name.

They collapsed against her bed. And they both drifted to sleep, tired of hate. Tired of anger. But sleep consumed them both.

* * *

Max woke up to sore hips, and being naked under her sheets. The sun peeked through her blinds and reflected her soft doe eyes. 

What the fuck did I do last night?

But her heart stopped when she felt something drape over her hip. It was an...arm. Oh god who...who did she sleep with?

Turning around, she audibly gasped.

NATHAN PRESCOTT? How and why the fuck did she sleep with someone who tormented her and her friends? Why? HOW?

But he didn’t look as...intimidating  when he was when he was awake. He looked like he was at ease. He looked happy and calm.   
Nathan pulled her close in his arms and nuzzled the back of her neck.

“Hey Max?” Nathan crooned. His morning voice sounded very strange. It was gravelly and is was softer than the high pitched angry voice he has usually.

“Y-yes, Nathan?” Her voice almost cracked. Fear wracked her whole body.

“Sorry for being so rough with you. Maybe we can do this again.” He couldn’t look her in her face. Those big brown eyes were very...alluring. Who would have thought he liked fucking Max Caulfield? He didn’t mind waking up to see her in his arms.

“I...I don’t know. It’s better if you leave,”Max said softly, not looking at Nathan. But she could feel him scoff.   
  


“Whatever. Just don’t get in my way anymore, Max,” he hissed. He rustled in the sheets and dressed himself , leaving.  But he couldn’t deny wanting her again.

As for Max? She covered herself, feeling ashamed, but wanting to see him again. God he was a fucking douchebag.


	2. Desperation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He sees her again and he's much different than last time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I do livestreams of this now!  
> Visit my tumblr (lesbidishonest(dot)tumblr(dot)com) for more updates!

Nathan Prescott had insomnia. He has had it since he started Blackwell Academy, and in all honesty, it was getting so much worse. It was three in the damn morning and he just couldn’t sleep. Victoria always chastised him for never sleeping , to which he would scoff off and pretend he would ignore her.

But this night was a little different. He was thinking. Way too much. About a certain pain in his ass person.   
A week ago, he did something that most people like him would regard a giant fucking mistake. But he didn’t see it as such when he found himself in bed with Maxinne Caulfield.

He and her had the roughest sex he had ever had in his entire sex life as of late. But she was a virgin. And surprisingly enough, she hadn’t made any contact with him or his posse since the whole incident.   
Sure he saw her in school,  but she never looked him in the eye. She wasn’t talking to him, and that was what he wanted in the first place. To be left alone.

But now he needed her company in other ways. He felt less stressed since he fucked her into her photo wall. Her nails running down his back and leaving bite marks on him made him feel something while in this god awful place. He felt something. And he couldn’t even describe the feeling of when he woke up to see her at his side. Something drove him to drape his arm over her. It just felt...natural. Normal.

  
He was sick of everything, and he snapped. And for once, he was glad she was bothering him and getting her stupid nose in his business.   
He had to see her again. Sex with her was better any kind of medication that his fucking prick of a father gave to him.

* * *

 ****Max Caulfield usually didn’t have an issue with sleeping. But in recent events...with all the crap that had been coming her way...sleep was not in her favor.

Her eyes became dry as she kept staring at her ceiling. The dark blue of night washed over her dorm room and she never felt so awake.

But one thing kept her awake. One person in general. The prick Nathan Prescott…

He and her...had intimate relations as of last week. And she still hated him with a firey passion. He took her virginity for Christ’s sake. He was her first. It made her sick. But not sick enough to not do it again. 

Max never took herself to be a bad girl, ever, but the way he whispered filth in her ear, biting him, and his teeth marking her for all to see was something she craved once again.   
But the way he made her feel was still in no way an excuse for his foul behaviour.

“Stupid fucking rich kid,” Max muttered under her breath as she tossed in her sheets. She hated this feeling of wanting something, or someone.   
It was _wrong_. What he does is _wrong_. Nathan Prescott was bad news and she should have never slept with him.

A chime from her phone interrupted her thoughts. It was three in the damn morning, what did Chloe want right now? She wasn’t going to sneak out of her dorm room right now!

When Max’s eye finally adjusted to her bright screen, she felt the air in her lungs escape her, as if someone knocked the wind out of her.

**its nathan. Are u up rn?**

How did Nathan get her number? It was THREE  IN THE MORNING.

**why?**

**meet me outside ur dorm in 15.we need 2 talk**

**why?**

Nathan didn’t respond to her last text. He was creeping her out, and the last thing she ever wanted to do was meet Nathan. Alone. Without Chloe and her gun to protect Max. At least she had her rewind power so that if he tried to hurt her…

Max shook her head and she felt shivers run up her spine.   
“Lets just hope it doesn’t get to that…”

* * *

 

Max snuck out of her dorm, hoping that the old doors wouldn’t squeak as she crept out of them.

Low and behold, there was the King Jackass, trying to look cool as he propped himself up on the wall of the dorm, right where he pinned her before.

“So what is it, Nathan? It’s three in the morning, and we have class soon,” Max grumbled as she walked over to him.

He didn’t say anything. Nathan didn’t have any sass for her irritation.   
“Max. I can’t sleep,” he said simply. “I can’t fucking sleep and it’s your fault.” His voice was accusatory, and it was harsh.

“How is this my fault? Nathan you’re the one who texted me!” Max hissed at him. And before the two knew it, they were arguing about nothing. And Nathan grabbed her and kissed her hard on the mouth.

Max wanted to scream, she wanted to push him away and rewind...but her body moved on its own and kissed him back. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck, deeping their kiss. He bit her lip, tugging at it.   
Max tried to kiss him as well as he was for her, but she was a quick learner.   
But her soft gasp caught Nathan off guard as he trailed his kisses down her neck, sucking at her pulse.

“N-Nathan...You shouldn’t…” Max whimpered softly as he kept kissing her, leaving possessive marks on her.

“I should. I need you again, Max.” And again, Nathan’s voice was husky in her ear. “Please.” He never said please to her. The look in his bright blue eyes was one of desperation. His grip on her was tight.

_Oh god he was vulnerable. Nathan Prescott was falling apart._

“Fine.”

* * *

 

He was still rough with her, biting her and moving her on his lap fast and hard. Nathan was desperate for relief, and he needed his relivor to be Max. She triggered something in him. Was it her big eyes, those eyes of innocence he envied so much? Maybe. But all he cared about was her hands in his hair and her lips over his neck.

And everything felt so fucking good. He was an experienced person, and she wasn’t in the slightest. But fucking her...it was...raw.  
  


And Max knew Nathan was an addictive personality. He needed things and when he didn’t get what he wanted, he tried to get it, no matter the circumstances.   
Was she his new drug of choice? And was he going to humiliate her like he did to poor Kate?

At the moment she didn’t care. All she cared about was him whispering her name like a prayer in her neck.   
And she felt amazing. It was better than last time. It was so bad but she needed him. She needed him so much. His movements were slower, but more deliberate.   
  


“Max...you feel so fucking good…”

His voice always changed. And this was Max’s favorite version of it.

Her cries fueled him. His pace quickened.   
“Look at me. I want to see your face,” he growled, pulling her hair back to make her look at him. And holy shit. Her eyes were glossed over with pleasure, freckled face flushed a dark red and the bites were bright on her soft skin.   
Good.

“You’re _mine_ ,” he growled in her ear as he fucked her into oblivion.   
She muffled her cries in his shoulder, digging her sharp nails in his back. He bled.   
They came together, her name ever on his lips.  
She was his...no one else could see her in the way did. He dared not think about it. It would make him angry again.

Slumping together on her bed, they fell asleep. For Nathan, it was the best sleep he had in months. Max nestled in her pillow. For a change, she wasn’t stressed about the world.

* * *

 

Max again woke up sore, the blinds barely filtering out the harsh morning sun. Her neck was bruised and her hips hurt.   
But she couldn’t move since Nathan held her close to him. She never imagined him as a cuddler. But considering who he was, he was still a human who craved contact. Nathan Prescott is an asshole. Yet, he is an asshole who enjoyed her company.

Nathan was awake before Max, but he wanted to relish in this. Just...a little longer.

 _Please don’t notice it. I just want…_ His face buried in her hair.

Thank god it wasn’t a school day.

 


	3. About Last Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathan is crumbling. And Max is to blame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And of course I add angst. GREAT. 
> 
> But at least this has plot now.

“Nathan, you haven’t said anything this entire time. What is WITH you?” Victoria snapped at him, bringing the young man back to reality. He was unusually quiet when he would be the most vocal in hanging out with her and the other members of the Vortex Club. But today he was quiet and fuming. His silent anger was slightly more terrifying than him just yelling and people arguing with him. No, he was ready to snap again.

Fucking Max Caulfield got him expelled for Kate Marsh’s suicide. He wasn’t the one who pushed her off the goddamn roof! And he swears he never drugged her. All he wanted to do was get shitfaced and try to have a good time for a change. But no. Max FUCKING Caulfield couldn’t just leave him alone.

“Nothing. I’m just going to leave. I’ll text you, Victoria,” he snapped. And without even explaining himself,   he stormed off.

He was...beyond furious. And he almost let out a loud yell as he slammed the door to his dorm room. Nathan began to kick his chair and he almost tore up some of the shots he had done and perfected. And there it was on his wall, taunting him. Max’s selfie was in his room, hanging on the wall, untainted. It was something he actually enjoyed, and she infuriated him.   
How could she? Honestly, how COULD she blame him for all this?

The image of her lying in his arms flashed through his head. Her skin was bruised from the night before. He remembered her softly whimpering his name. Nathan calling her his...  
 _NO. NOT NOW._

Nathan let out a loud growl of frustration from within him, vibrating him. He nearly ripped the photo of her off the wall and he so DEARLY wanted to shred it up and throw it out. Or ruin it in some grotesque way but…

“Fuck…”

He couldn’t do it. Of course not. He was a coward. He had always been a coward his whole life. And now, oh now. Poor little rich boy was hiding behind a gun and empty threats.   
And Max Caulfield was always in his way, in his business, and he was always in her bed.   
  


He _hated_ her.

He _hated_ the way she questioned him.

He _hated_ her when she argued with him.

And most of all...he _hated the way she made him feel._

And he hated that he knew that he just _HAD_ to see her again.

* * *

 

Max seriously had to watch her back now. Nathan Prescott was now expelled because of her. And knowing him, he would be out to find her, again. But this time, it wouldn’t be for certain favors or encounters that she found herself becoming addicted to.

“Max Attack, you are hella spacing. Earth to Maaaax,” Chloe chimed, moving her hand in front of Max’s face to break her trance.   
“Ch-Chloe--”

“Dude, you have been out of it since you got to my house. You seriously need to focus on the issue at hand here!”

Max looked down at her hands and  nodded. Chloe needed her to get Frank’s keys so that they could see what he was hiding about Rachel.

And as per usual, Max was nervous.  She had never stolen things before from major dickcheeses like Frank.

The door bell chimed as Max entered the Two Whales dinner. The smell of pancakes and bacon hit her senses like a herd of wild horses. Bam. Her favorite smells in the entire world.

But her soothing calm was interrupted when she saw Nathan sitting at one of the booths. He was eating for a change.   
She knew what he looked like under all those baggy clothes, and he was skinny. Too skinny for someone like Nathan.   
She didn’t know whether or not to be actually relieved that he was taking care of himself for a change.

Wait why did she care? There was NO WAY he thought about her in this way too.  She had a task.

But Nathan spot her, even through her Rachel disguise.

“Max? Get over here. You and I need to talk,” he shouted across the diner.

Don’t you have any consideration for OTHERS AROUND YOU? She wanted to yell at him back.

Sitting down in front of him, she was in for a surprise. He hadn’t slept. Dark circles rimmed his usually aggressive blue eyes. But madness had taken over the  elite young man.

“You look like shit,” she blurted plainly.   
Well she wasn’t wrong.

“I would say the same but those clothes actually do you a favor. But barely,”he hissed at her.

“So what do you want? I have to get something here.”

 

“Do you have any IDEA what you’ve done to me? Any FUCKING idea?” he bit out harshly. Every word dripped with a toxic venom and weeping desperation

 

“No, Nathan, but I know you were part of the reason my friend killed herself,”Max responded lowly, trying to avoid an unnecessary fight with Mr. Armed and Dangerous sitting across from her.

‘Shut up, its not my fault and you know it. You’re ruining me. YOU have RUINED me."


	4. Worse than Nicotine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is getting to be too much. And he always needs her like she is like a cigarette. But she needs to end this before anyone else gets hurt. Or killed.

Max was shocked. She ruined him? How in the hell did she ruin him? She had been trying to unearth the truth about Kate’s suicide and Rachel Amber’s disappearance. And he have the NERVE to accuse her of ruining him?   
What was left of him to ruin? He was fucked up to begin with. And she was ruining him? How?

“What are you talking about, Nathan? How am I ruining you? You’ve done all of this to yourself,” Max responded sternly. She shook her head and started to get up, she had a goal. Frank was a couple of tables over and she needed his keys to snoop around in his van. And Chloe was not a patient person.    
“I don’t have time for this.”

As Max was walking away from Nathan’s booth, he grabbed her wrist, tightly. This was all too familiar.  But now was not the time for intimacy.   
“Nathan let go,” Max ordered, trying to yank herself away. but Nathan wouldn’t budge. His grip was tight on her and he looked up at her with hate in his cerulean blue eyes.   
He was tired and hateful.  He smelled like cigarettes.

Nathan wanted to yell at her and call her an ignorant bitch and curse her for all she had done to him. But he couldn’t bring the words out of his throat. They just stuck there, dry.

Before he knew it, Max had used all of her force to escape his grip and she fled. Again. She was the one thing--person--he wanted and he could never have her. Money could never buy her. She was just something--someone--he could never have. So he would have to get her in the one way he only knew. Persistent attempts.

* * *

Max felt chills up her spine when Nathan gripped her wrist. It was like the nights she had spent with him, but when he did it in the bedroom...it was...out of desire and lust, But now it was desperation and hatred.

She wasn’t surprised. He was a hateful little rich boy who threw tantrums when he didn’t get what he wanted. And Nathan Prescott was no good for her. He would never be good for her. But somehow...she still wanted something that she knew that would be destroy her. And self destruction was last on her list of things-to-do. But for now, she had to rewind so many times when trying to get those stupid keys from that drug dealer who stank of beans and dog.

After countless times rewinding, Max obtained  Frank’s keys, and snuck out of the Two Whales diner, trying to avoid Frank’s beady and cautious eyes. Once she got outside, Chloe was nervously tapping her foot, mostly out of irritation since Max too DAMN long.

“So? Did you get them, Maxarroni and Cheese?” Chloe huffed in that voice that Max knew too well. Yup, she definitely took too long. Or maybe did she see her and Nathan… “I mean it took you long enough.”

Max cringed. But she held up the janky keys up to prove her success to her hotheaded friend. Now it was time to get some dirt on Frank and the actual truth on Rachel.

And the entire time, while Chloe was uncovering the disgusting truth of Rachel and Frank’s.... relationship, Max was pondering her own with Nathan.   
What did he mean that she ruined him? What was left to ruin? He was a young man who was pumping himself full of drugs and alcohol and headed to hell, fast.   
All she did was sleep with him. Twice.  That was it.

Nothing more nothing less. Nathan knew better how these one night stand things worked better than she did right?

But he had been acting so strange with her, not as aggressive with her, but he had called her his a couple of nights ago.

_You’re mine._

__

Those words were branded into her brain. The second time wasn’t as full of hate as the first.   
His arms were wrapped around her so tightly in this vice-like grip.  
Teeth and lips marked her skin, and she still had those bruises on her hips and thighs. Nathan branded her like she was his property. like she was his plaything.

Max shivered. The thought of her being Nathan Prescott’s lover made her sick to her stomach. To think that he could possible want to make  lo--

“Fucking shit! Rachel...why didn’t you tell me? I thought I was your best friend!” Chloe shouted angrily. “You… you and Frank…?”   
Poor Chloe…

And seeing Chloe kick furniture and almost start breaking things terrified her. She was going into this violent fit, that scared Max shitless.   
  


And that was when she made the decision to never tell Chloe. Chloe could NEVER know that Max actually had Nathan fucking shithead Prescott in her bed. Or that he took her virginity.

* * *

Nathan paced his room again, thinking about her again. Today she wore Rachel’s clothes. And for some reason, he loved them on her. And the worst part? He thought they would look better on his floor, with the rest of his own. But sex didn’t mean everything to him. Sure fucking her was great, and he relieved himself of his stress and actually slept for a change, but seeing her in the morning was what he craved the most. Closeness. Intimacy. Human contact.

Girls would usually leave him right afterwards.  But with Max...she never ran. She stayed.   
And he never knew he needed her skin against his own so much and it was killing him.   
  


He was destroying himself and Max’s kisses kept him together. But all she had done was hurt him. She made him look like the bad guy. In no means was he a good person but he wasn’t a genuine scumbag that wanted to watch the world burn. He wanted to see Arcadia Bay burn, and Max at his side.   
  


Nathan was a moth and she was the flame. He had to have her in his arms. This wasn’t a want now. This addiction was a need. He needed her affection.

He needed her in his arms, kissing him, holding him. And she was his. Oh god Max Caulfield was his to have. And he would never let anyone have her the way he did.

Nathan tore his phone from his jacket and began to punch out text after text to her.

**come 2 my dorm**

**rn**

**whenevr u can. this is an emergency**

No answer.

**hello???????**

_what do you want now?_

Finally she acknowledged him.

**come 2 my dorm in 1 hr.**

Nathan pocketed his phone and sat at his computer. Waiting. She would come. He knew it.

  
  
As for Max, she had no choice but to see what Nathan wanted, but not without any pepper spray she snagged from Chloe’s stepdouche. Courtesy of Miss Chloe Price.

But this had to be the last time she sees him. No more of this. This was hurting her and she didn’t know why he kept calling her. But this was going to be the last time.


	5. Sticky Sweet, Make me Sick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max goes to the other timeline, and something about Nathan is totally off. 
> 
> MOSTLY MAX POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll update two times today in make up for tomorrow since i have school otl

Max felt shivers up her spine when Nathan was texting her in Chloe’s truck. She just prayed she didn’t see anything on her phone. And right now, Chloe was livid, and she felt like she was betrayed.   
“Bitch didn’t tell me she was banging Frank! Everyone just pretends to care until they don’t!” Then she threw Max the most intense, most hateful glare that she had ever seen. She never even looked at David like that.  
“Even you, Max,” she spat with such hurt and hatred.

“You take that back, Chloe Price. Right now,” Max said harshly. How could she? She already felt so horrible about being gone for five years without any contact about how she was doing or her condolences for William’s passing but this...this was just getting to be not okay.

“Fine, but I have to blame on someone or else it’s my fault. _ **FUCK THAT**_ ,” Chloe snapped, her voice cracking. She was hurt. But her behavior...the things she said about Rachel, her best friend who was MISSING, her...her own father William, who died in a tragic accident…. She was blaming all the people that cared about her. And Max couldn’t take this anymore.

  
“Oh grow up, Chloe!” Max shouted angrily. Her blood was boiling. “It is no one’s fault that your life is hard. And I’m sorry for that. But you can’t just blame people for the things that go wrong. I know you don’t want to hear this but it’s life.”

Max’s heart was racing. Her blood was hot in her veins.

Chloe was quiet. “You’re right. I don’t want to hear this.”

* * *

Max left Chloe’s truck bitter. She was right though. Chloe had no right to just displace the blame onto those who loved her. And Max had enough issues to deal with, and she wouldn’t be made the bad guy by her own best friend.

Once she got back to her dorm, she kept staring at the photo of her and Chloe from five years ago. It seemed like an eternity since then. And she wanted Chloe to be happy, with her whole family again. With William.

The picture began to pulsate. Voices from the past came from the photo that was lying limp in her hands.   
This was getting too weird for her. But if she just focused enough....

A rush was sent through her entire body. She was whirred through a bright light and she was back in Chloe’s house...and she saw William there. This was…

“Okay girls, smile!” William said happily. The flash startled Max and she was taken aback. She was eighteen in a thirteen year old body of herself. This was getting too weird. But she could save William this time, right? There was no way she was going to let this slip again. Chloe could finally be happy…

And she altered time. William took the bus to get Joyce and thank god didn’t take his car. He was alive.... He never died in this time.

_But fate was a cruel mistress. And time was her right-hand man._

And as fast as Max was sucked into the past, she was thrown into the present, but something was completely different.

“Maxine, oh honey you’re spacing out again,” Victoria chimed softly. “We’re still planning the party, do you have any ideas you want to throw out there?”

Max’s mouth went dry. Her heart went to zero. Party? V-Vortex party…? Was she in the Vortex Club?  
“Max...never Maxine,” Max stuttered. She didn’t even pay attention to what was going on. Everything around her was so fucked up. Nathan was sitting beside her and holding her hand...like they were--

“Hey, you alright, babe? You look really pale,” Nathan asked her, concern in his voice. He was calm. There was nothing about him that was aggressive. His hand softly squeezed hers.   
“I--”

  
“Maybe because you’re squeezing her hand so hard, Nate, she is getting pale,” Victoria teased. Nathan’s face turned  a bright red and he told to Victoria to quit it. And before she even knew it, he placed a soft kiss to her forehead.

  
“Do you want to get something to drink, Max? Or are you hungry?

”   
Max needed to splash water on her face. This was not real. It couldn’t be real. She and Nathan Prescott were dating? And he just kissed her in public? Was he high? Was SHE high?   
The questions kept rolling into her head. And the answers were just confusing her more.   
  


“No, but thanks Nathan. I’m just going to…” Max trailed off and got up from the circle they were sitting in and began to wander around. And seeing Warren with Brooke just confused her more. What did she do? How much did she change…

“Max, are you okay, you’re acting really weird,” Nathan asked her. He followed her from their circle just to see if she was okay. She was not okay.   
“I’m...I’m fine,” she said softly. Things were scaring her. This Nathan looked at her with such affection and it was terrifying. She couldn’t bring herself to hate someone who held her hand so gently and kissed her so lovingly.

“Are you sure? You can tell me anything. Anything that troubles you, I will help you through it.” He held her and and kissed her cheek softly.   
Why is he so loving?

This scared her so much, scared her more than tornadoes and guns aimed at her head. She wanted him to tell her she was a nosey bitch, not tell her that she could tell him anything. She wanted him to grab her and kiss her hard against the school wall instead of kissing her so gently that it felt like butterfly wings on her cheek.

This Nathan was not one she knew. This Nathan made her sick.

“I’m so sorry I have to go,” Max said in a hurry, running to the bus. She had to get away from him. She felt so out of her zone, and Nathan was making this worse. Max needed to be anywhere but here.

“I’ll text you!” he shouted to her as she boarded the bus, waving to her.

But Max didn’t hear him. She had to find Chloe. What happened to her? Was she okay?

The drive to the Price household was serene. But Max’s nerves got the better of her and she was fumbling in her seat. The sun was setting, dusting Arcadia Bay with pinks and oranges that almost loomed over the Price home.   
Max rapped on the door nervously. Who answered the door confirmed what she did.

  
“Max Caulfield! I thought I’d never see you again!” William Price exclaimed happily. “Back from Seattle I see?”

“Yeah...I came to see Chloe…” Words stuck in her throat, scared.

“Oh yes, let me get her.” And when William called Chloe over, Max was met with a horrifying result. Her best friend and partner in crime, confined to a wheelchair. She had a tube in her throat. She didn’t move, but the smile on her face said it all.   
Max still did not see Chloe for five years.

* * *

 

And Max was never ready. She was never ready to hear what Chloe had been through with her accident. She saved one life, only to have another being stolen from her. Max could never take that. She refused to take that as a result of her time travel.

“Max, please do it. I want our time together to be our last memory. Please,” Chloe said weakly.   
“Chloe...I-I can’t do that,” Max responded, her voice cracking. She got up and she shook her head vehemently. There was no way she could help Chloe in suicide. Never. Never in a million years.

“Oh so you’re going to abandon me again? Like you _abandoned_ me for _Nathan Prescott_?” Chloe hissed at her.   
How did she know about that? How--

“Chloe I don’t--”

“Don’t treat me like an idiot, Max! I know you and him have had a thing for a long while now and that you and him fucked. I’m in a wheelchair, not a fucking idiot!” Chloe’s voice was rising. Hell hath no fury like Chloe Price scorned.   
She turned her head and refused to look at Max. “You can leave now. Go suck a dick.”

Max was hurt. She never thought this Chloe would ever know about Nathan and her relationship. What was other Max thinking…

But she took the photo from five years ago and traveled back, letting William die. Of course it killed her to let someone in Chloe’s life just disappear forever, but if it meant Chloe dying instead, then…

* * *

 

Before Max knew it, her phone was blown up with texts from Nathan.

**wher r u?**

**i need 2 talk 2 u**

**come to the boys dorm asap**

 

**hello?????????**

_i’m still coming, calm down_

**  
**She needed something normal. And shithead Nathan was her normal.


	6. Obstactles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He and her meet again. But he knows how he feels about her. She can't say the exact same. But Nathan is in too deep. HE always has been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might not update tomorrow so here is a make up for it. Enjoy. The song Obstacles by Syd Matters adds to the mood

And once again, she was tangled with him, his teeth nipped at her throat, branding her as his. Rough kisses melded with her soft and gentle caresses. And Max needed him as badly as Nathan needed her, but all for the different reasons. Max needed reassurance that this Nathan Prescott, this literal piece of garbage, hated her. She wanted to have him bite and pull at her, teeth and skin making contact that she so desired.

Nathan needed her proximity. He needed to feel her skin against his own in passionate kisses that frenzied into something more.

“Max, I need you,” he groaned as her hands wandered further south. Her touch, her kiss, all of her was intoxicating. But he needed to feel those small soft hands touching him, holding him, pulling at him in the desire that he shared for her.

“Patience, Nathan, I’m getting you out of your pants,” she said quickly, her fingers moving over him, making him shudder.

She was teasing him.

And he would have none of that. Well not right now.   
Grabbing her hand, he undid his own jeans and made them fall to the floor. “Max, now.” His voice was husky and his breath warmed her neck, making her shiver.

Deep ocean eyes bored into her own soft baby blues and she blushed hard.   
“Don’t fucking make me say it,” he growled, pulling her by the waist and holding her against him.

Max was confused.   
“Say what?”

Her voice was angelic. It was calming. Soothing.

“That I need you. I fucking need you,” he whispered harshly. He squeezed her and held her. His lips took hers again, but it was a passionate and desperate kiss. And no matter what he said, she didn’t take him seriously. He’ll hate her afterwards.  He just wanted to fuck her. But she kissed him back, threading her long fingers in his blond silky hair.  
Max seemed surreal. He had to make sure she wasn’t a figment of his imagination. And that kiss confirmed she was real. He wanted to cry in her arms, but this eased him. She calmed him down. He was burning up and she was cooling.

“Let me have you,” he asked. “Please.”

She was used to him being needy. “You have me.”

And his movements in her were as rough and hurried as his kisses were. His hand was in her hair, tangling it. Her moans brought him to earth, and made him feel wanted, desired. He…

“Oh god, Nathan…” she moaned in his shoulder, moving her nails down his back. It hurt, but he didn’t mind the pain. She was getting vocal, and he almost swore his dormmates could hear them, but right now he didn’t care. Hearing her moan his name, calling for him drove him to lust for more.   


“Max…” he groaned her mouth. He kissed her hard. He wrapped her legs around his hips, his thumbs leaving bruises on her flawless thighs. All of her was perfect. She wasn’t drop dead gorgeous like Rachel Amber, but she was different than Rachel. He craved Max Caulfield.   
He felt things for her he had never felt before. And he hated it. She would never feel the same for him. But the sex helped him.

“Oh god I’m close...Nathan I--” her face twisted in pleasure. Toes curling. Her soft freckled face was red from the excitement. And she loved this.  
“Come for me,” he whispered softly in her ear, moving hard and fast.

And she became undone in his arms, him following suit, calling out her name in her shoulder.   
_Mine. You’re mine and I’m never letting you go._

Max moved his hair out of his face and she was surprised to see the look he was giving her. She was a goddess to him. He looked at her like she was holy. And like he loved her.   
No. He couldn’t. And thinking about that made her sick again. But would it be so bad if he did?

“Nathan?”

He wrapped his arms around her again and buried his nose in her hair. “Shut up and sleep,” he snapped in the groggy voice she loved. This was the Nathan she knew and hated.

Nathan held her, and wouldn’t let her go. Max’s soft bruised skin was his now. Her skin against him gave him the therapy he really needed. Affection. He adored her. And hated it. He wanted her to love him back so badly. But everyone hated him.

  
He knew what he felt. And in the morning, she would go back to hating him, accusing him of awful things.   
As they spooned together, his storm went calm. His heart was at a normal pace. Her back pressing against his chest was soothing for him. Better than any drugs he could ingest. Better than any expensive whiskey he could drown himself in.

She was Max. And she made him feel human.

* * *

 

The next morning, Nathan woke up to an empty space beside him. Max snuck out while he was sleeping. But she left something there. Her bracelet. It was on his desk were they were kissing last night.

Of course she was gone, why would she want to stay with garbage like him. But he could feel her warmth still in her spot.

And Nathan wanted to cry. All the thought about was her. Her big blue doe-like eyes, freckled face that he could make constellations out, her lips, her skin. He could be obsessed with a girl that hated him. And Nathan still hated her for making him look bad. He didn’t want to be bad, but he felt unlovable.

“I...I want you again,” he whimpered to his ceiling. His turquoise eyes welled with tears and some slipped. He cursed every droplet that disobeyed him. He would not cry over Max Caulfield. But damn everything he did. He almost started sobbing. Nathan wanted her so badly it hurt. It hurt him like everyone hating him.

****  
“Max I hate you. I hate the way you make me feel. All I want is you and I can’t…” choking on his tears he held back loud sobs.  
Why? All he wanted was to be loved by her. If it were only for a day, he would be happy and at ease.   
But he can’t have everything. Now can he?


	7. And This is a Cruel World We Live In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathan puts his feelings to words. And she knows that this isn't just sex anymore. 
> 
> But Max and Chloe search for justice and Max does the unthinkable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for what's gonna happen. I am SO sorry

Max got a text from Chloe asking her to come to the house before her stepshit saw her and threw a hissy fit. Apparently, Chloe wasn’t mad anymore and she had something super important to show Max.   
Only issue? Max was nestled in Nathan’s arms when she got Chloe’s text. And there was no WAY Chloe would stand the fact that her best friend was sleeping with the enemy. But Max saw a side of Nathan she never knew that even existed.   
He was passionate and he was so needy with her. His eyes. Oh his eyes pulled her in the riptide of the violent sea of blue and she wanted to drown in them. The innocence in eyes that were visible in hers was nonexistent in Nathan’s. He hadn’t been happy, or even okay for so long…

But when he and her had sex, those eyes turned to fire. There was fire of passion and lust that she had never seen in him before. He looked at her in a way no person had ever looked at her before, let alone Warren. Warren had a hopeful look in his citrine eyes. But Nathan’s was longing, lonely...  
His voice called for her, begged for her. This Nathan she knew was not one Victoria Chase knew, not one Chloe Price was shot by, or his own father knew.   
No, this Nathan wanted her to only see him this way.

Max had to leave him alone though. Chloe was waiting for her, and if she didn’t get there soon, she would start calling her and texting her until she actually responded.   
As Max got dressed quietly, Nathan didn’t move, but the soft rising and falling of his chest proved that he was still breathing. His face was soft, but hard lines of worry and stress appeared on his forehead. A jerk like him still had feelings. And Max didn’t want to leave him alone, she felt bad about going to Chloe. From how he was the night before, he shouldn’t be alone.

Alas, duty called and she was in a hurry.

dude i’ll be in front of the school in 20. BE OUT THERE

Mad Max, omw rn

_okay i’ll be there in just a sec_

__

It was six thirty in the morning. How could Chloe be up so early, when on regular days she wakes up around noon? Maybe the urgency of the situation for Rachel.   
As Max snuck out of Nathan’s room, she took one last look at him. He was still sleeping peacefully.   
“I’m sorry,” she whispered softly before leaving his room. Max snuck out of the boys’ dorm room barely being detected.

Upon getting in Chloe’s truck, she noticed her bracelet was gone. Shit it was on Nathan’s desk, and she couldn’t go back and get it now. Oh well, it was a cheapo little thing she got in Seattle with her cousins.   
“Morning, Mad Max,” Chloe cheerily, as if they never had their huge arguement. “We have a lot of work to do.”

Max rubbed her tired eyes and attempted to hide her hickeys and bruises from her friend as she was focusing on the road. “Dude like what? It’s almost seven in the morning.”

In all honesty, Max would rather be in bed with Nathan, sleeping.   
Oh god did she seriously think that? Though to be fair, snuggling with him wasn’t so bad. His nose was always in her neck and she almost swore he kissed the back of her neck while she was sleeping. And Max didn’t mind being in his arms. The first time he apologised for being so rough with her, but now he had no qualms in marking her. But Chloe ever found out…

“Well we gotta look through stepdouche’s files and find out what we can on the Dark Room. We need a couple of things though…” Chloe was trailing off and Max didn’t even pay attention. She was occupied with the thought of Nathan waking up and not seeing her there. She...she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

He was so needy last night. He wasn’t desperate to rip her clothes off but he seemed like he wanted to hold her more than bite her and make her cry his name. He wanted something else, and Max wanted to move his hair out of his eyes and just kiss him. When she lie in his arms the night before, he looked like he was going to cry.

“Max, you alright there? You falling asleep on me?” Chloe joked, gently nudging Max’s arm as she pulled into the driveway.   
Max’s  baby blue eyes were dry. “Yeah I’m just tired is all.”

* * *

 

“Okay so we need to do three things. One is deciphering Frank’s Logbook, which shouldn’t be too hard…” Max grumbled, over papers.   
“Find that scumbag Nathan’s phone and see what texts he has on there,”Chloe added, emphasising her disgust for Max’s lover. And Max almost winced.   
Lover...she didn’t mind the sound of that…  
Fuck now is not the time for that!

“And find out what the Dark Room is from all of that,”Max finished, not taking her eyes from the papers. Her eyes still dry from the car ride over to Chloe’s house and her talking smack on the one she cared about was not helping.

Max did care about him. She felt something when she was with him. The warmth, the soft kisses he placed on the back of her neck in the early morning were things she adored. And Nathan…

He… She didn’t know what he thought about her. But she wanted to think that he felt the same for her. And her heart hurt. It hurt to think that he would only just using her body for sex and then he could just throw her away for someone far more beautiful and experienced than her… and he could possibly humiliate her like he did to Kate.

“Alrighty, I’ll drive you to the school so that we can get Shitdick’s phone,” Chloe announced triumphantly.   
Again, Max felt a sharp pang in her chest. _Stop calling him that…_

* * *

 

Nathan held onto her bracelet and grasped it in his hands after she left. It was a small piece of her that he wanted to keep to himself. She left it in his room by accident but he couldn’t help but think that she left it there on purpose for him to see.

But damn her. She was going to ricochet back into being this accusatory bitch and blame him for the horrible things going on at Blackwell. None of this was his fault. He didn’t want to hurt anyone.   
And if he ever hurt Max…

Nathan clenched the bracelet in his hand and he felt tears sting his eyes.   
He couldn’t. He wouldn’t.  And that man would never make him. 

His gun was tucked away in his jacket, and he left the dorm. He wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place since he was expelled but no one had to know he was there right?   
Sneaking out, he left and went home.   
“Nathan you have to control yourself. She’s just a girl…” his breath was heavy and ragged. His mirror was playing tricks on him again. “You hate her and she hates you. She blamed you for all of this. And you…” He looked back at his reflection. Convincing himself that he didn’t care was like screaming in a room full of people and no one hearing him.   
Tears were in his eyes again.

“S-Stop crying. Stop it,” he barked at the weakling in the mirror. But that coward didn’t listen to him. Tears flowed freely, like violent rivers that showed no mercy to those in their paths.

“You...you…” _Love it--HER. SHE ISN’T A THING_.

“Fuck you, Max Caulfield. Fuck you, I HATE YOU. I hate…” loud sobs escaped the young man’s mouth and he slumped over his sink. “I hate that I love you…”

* * *

 

His room looked so much different during the day, but this morning she didn’t take the time to explore it. It was dark and clean. Like he didn’t even sleep here the night before.   
But she knew that was a lie.

And going through his things was weirder than before. Max fumbled through his old pictures and papers like she rifled through David Madsen’s things, without a care in the world. Then she saw it. 

Her picture hanging on his wall. How long has he had that for?

“Nathan…”

No. Not now Max. You have to find his phone.  
She tore her eyes from her photo, and kept looking. His room felt like it was closing in on her and she was scared he was going to bust in on her. Max wanted to see him though. But she had to find justice for Kate and Rachel first.

Once she took his phone from behind his couch, she tried to find her bracelet, and oddly enough, it wasn’t there. He must have taken it or thrown it away. What a shame.

“Ready Max? Did you find the phone?” Chloe asked as Max exited the room. With a nod, she confirmed her find was successful, and she tucked it safely in her satchel. “Good. Let’s bounce. This place gives me the fucking creeps.”

While checking what he had hidden on his phone, Nathan came back. Nathan looked at Max with wide eyes and they were a bloodshot red.

  
Was he... crying?

“What are _you_ doing in my dorm?” he shouted angrily. But he wasn’t yelling at Max, he directed himself at Chloe. And then he turned to Max. Of course. Of FUCKING course.   
“You...You are such a…”his voice almost cracked. He couldn’t call her a bitch anymore. He knew what he felt for her. And this...this changed everything. All he saw was fear in her eyes and it was directed at him. She never looked at him like that. And he loathed that look she gave him.

“St-stop right there, Nathan,” she stuttered, trying to appear tough. It didn’t work. And she knew this was going to end badly.

“Go Max! I got this!” Warren shouted as he appeared beside Max.  
 _Great. Not this nerd now. Did he want another beating?_

“Get the FUCK out of my face,” Nathan growled while walking up to Warren. But this earned him a headbutt from the younger boy and he fell to the ground in pain. And she just watched…

“You like to hurt people, huh? Like Max? Like Kate? Like me?!” Warren yelled furiously. His kicks to his stomach were like every realisation he felt these last couple of nights. And he didn’t want to hurt Max. Not anymore at least…

Max couldn’t take it. Watching Warren beat poor Nathan into the ground triggered something in her.   
“STOP IT!” she screamed, pushing  Warren out of her way, making him fall to the ground. She was protecting Nathan. Tears burned Max’s eyes and a look of pure anger and sadness struck her face. 

“Max what are you DOING?” Chloe’s voice was rising in anger in confusion. 

“S-Stop it, Warren. Stop it..." Max was crying over Nathan Prescott. And protecting him...

 


	8. Running up that Hill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's about time she realised she loved him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for it being so short. I might update tomorrow too

Max was sobbing now. Seeing Warren beat Nathan senseless into the ground made her snap, and she couldn’t bear to watch him hurt the person she cared about anymore.

She stood in front of him, guarding him, protecting him from anymore harm. The tears running down her cheeks didn’t play off the fact that she was furious at Warren for beating someone up who had problems. Nathan was a dick. Sure he had a horrible way of soothing himself but…

“Max what in the hell are you doing? We have to leave. NOW,” Chloe snapped angrily, walking over to Max, grabbing her by the arm.

She pulled her out of Warren’s way and they all three fled from Nathan Prescott. And Max looked behind her shoulder to look at a bloodied and bruised Nathan. He curled himself up in a ball and mumbled to himself, covering his face.   
“Everyone hates me...my life is hell…” he whimpered. “I’m sorry…”

And Max could hear her heart breaking. No matter how badly she wanted to tear herself away from Chloe, and help Nathan up and tell him everything was going to be okay, she couldn’t. Chloe would never forgive her. So almost her friends, she let Nathan suffer on the dorm ground, alone.

* * *

 

“Do you want to tell me what the fuck you were thinking back there?” Chloe hissed at Max on the ride over Frank’s RV to give him his money and get some information on his clients. Her eyes held that same hateful look the day she blamed everyone for all the shit happening in her life.

And this time, Max didn’t have an answer to give Chloe.

“I...I don’t want to cause more trouble than we already have to,” Max said quietly, rubbing her arm. It was sore from pushing Warren out of her way, but it was all for Nathan’s sake.

“Yeah, keep talking. You were screaming for Warren to stop. I have never seen you like this, Max. You defended Nathan Prescott while crying,” Chloe snapped back without skipping a beat. “You know, you have been acting super weird lately. Where do you go at night?”

Max’s blood ran ice cold. “I...I go back to my dorm. I have all my things there,” she lied pathetically. She was a terrible liar and Chloe knew that. Oh god oh god she was going to find out…

“Bullshit, Max. I know that’s not the truth. Tell me right now,” Chloe demanded.

* * *

“Dude, Nathan what happened?” Hayden exclaimed when he saw Nathan trudging back to his room, his eye was swollen almost shut and he held his stomach like he had cracked ribs. He looked like hell spat him back out because it didn’t want him yet.

“You want me to talk you to hospital, Nate?”

“Fuck off, I’m fine,” he snapped, limping over to his door opening it.   
He slumped on his bed and held Max’s bracelet tightly.   
Her scream replayed in his head over and over again. He had never seen Max snap before. She was always so cool and calm, unlike him, hotheaded and violent. And seeing her push Warren so hard that he fell had him worried for her. He wanted to wipe her angry tears and hold her. He wanted to be the one to protect her, not the other way around.   
And he saw the hateful look that Chloe gave him. She knew. She knew the moment Max broke away from Chloe to stop Warren, she knew that Max and him had a different relationship behind closed doors. She wanted to kill him.

He loved Max, and that was all that mattered to him. She protected him from that shithead from beating him more that he had to. And he knew he deserved to get a good pummeling, and he deserved to get thrashed. But Max screamed. Everyone could hear her screaming for Warren to stop. She threw herself into the fight to stop it all.   
Did she care about him that much? He was garbage. Everyone hated him…

His phone buzzed in his pocket.

It was Max.

__

_are you okay? do you need any help?_

__

_nathan are you okay?_

**i’m fine.**

Nathan rubbed his eye and his fingers twiddled with the beads of her bracelet, soothing him. Everything hurt. He barely felt like he could breathe at all. He needed her to hold him in her arms. But she wasn’t there, Chloe dragged her away. 

_nathan open your door...please...I need to talk to you._

Wasn’t Max with Chloe? Regardless he opened her door. And she jumped in his arms, kissing  him hard on his lips.   
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she cried between kisses. She kissed his face, his forehead, all over where Warren hurt him.

Tears streaked her face and she moved her fingers through his messed up hair.   
Was this real? Was she really apologising to him and holding him. He didn’t care.  Nathan pulled her into his room again and slammed the door.   
He kissed her back hard and held her close to him.  This was what he needed. And he finally felt safe in her arms.

“I could never hate you,” Max whispered between kisses. “I care about you.”

 ****  
“I...Max, please hold me...I feel like everyone hates me,” he whimpered.  
“I don’t hate you, and I never could,” Max said softly as he buried his face in her shoulder, holding her close.

But this would all come to a crashing end soon... **  
**


	9. Never Let Me Go...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She and him finally confess their love. And he finally doesn't feel alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANGST FREE! ...for now. I'll continue w/plot in the next chapter. But he will help her and chloe soon.

But for now, the world could go fuck itself, because Nathan had Max pinned against his wall, kissing her frantically. Only this time, he kept whispering ‘I love you’s between kisses, his hands grasped her and held her tightly to him so he could never let her go ever again. She was his now.

His ribs hurt from Warren kicking him so hard, but Max was gentle with him, making him forget all about his pain.

She made him forget everything that had happened in the last couple of days. She made him forget about being so alone, that everyone around him hurt him. And Max cupped his cheeks, kissing him back with the same fervor, the same passion.

And she couldn’t deny it anymore. She DID love him. In some sick and strange way she did. How could she hate a young man who had no control over anything.   
He told her his side of his story. He really didn’t drug Kate, he just wanted to get drunk enough to forget the issues that had fallen upon him since he arrived at Blackwell, and ever since Rachel disappeared. But what he what happened to him was no excuse for the things he had done. He hurt her, he harassed her friends, and he did horrible things.   
He wasn’t a good person, but he was lonely. He tried to be good.

And Max forgave him. And Nathan finally could forgive himself.

“Max, I...I want to, you know…” he blushed, lot looking at her directly. He had never been so shy in front of her before. But that look she gave him, the way her small body pressed against him, it just set him aflame. He was fire and she was ice.

“You want to…?”

“But I want to show you how much you mean to me.But  I don’t deserve you. I’m not a good person but I can’t help but…” her fingers went to his lips to interrupt him. She wiped the tears that had began to fall from his deep blue eyes. One of them began to become less inflamed as she took care of him earlier. His hands were shaky. She hated seeing him beat himself up. But at least he knew what he did was wrong before, and she would help him. Max assured him she would be there to hold him.

“Just show me, I’ll show you too,” she whispered against his lips before kissing him again, gently.

And Nathan was gone. Her gentleness made him passionate again.

“Max Caulfield...I love you…”he confessed before kissing her again, hoisting her up in his arms again, carrying him over to his bed.

And oh god he loved her.   
_He loved her. He loved her. He loved her._  

Her soft gentle cries didn’t fuel him the same way as they did before. Her moans and kisses were ones out of love. Her small hands moved over his chest and ran soft circles over his tense shoulders before her fingers tangled themselves in his blond hair again as he held her hips, driving himself into her slowly but forcefully.

“Oh Nathan…” she gasped as he kissed her neck and hit her in the spot that felt so good. She felt electric. Her toes curled and her legs wrapped themselves around his back, bringing him deeper and closer.

“Max...I…I want all of you,” Nathan moaned in her ear, bringing her up to sit in his lap, moving her slowly. Her breasts pressed against his chest and he could feel her heart beating with his. They were in perfect sync.   
“I love you, Max…” he groaned before kissing her again. His movements got faster and faster as she moved with him.

Everything felt so good, and so right. And he was so in love. In love with someone who truly loved him back. This was what making love felt like. This was what he needed most.   
Intimacy. And Max was his angel. She was pure. Too pure for him, and yet, her gentle starry freckled face smiled at him as he lost himself with her.

“I...I love you too…”Max confessed in his kiss.   
Just hearing her say those words...those four little words...Nathan closed his eyes and moved faster, making Max cry out and arch her back. He was close, and as was she.

“Nathan...oh god Nathan…!” Max’s voice got higher with every passionate thrust he made.

“Hold me, Max. I’m so close…”he whispered, squeezing her tightly.   
Her arms threw themselves around him and she kissed him hard.   
“Come with me,” he moaned in her mouth.

And she unraveled in his arms again.   
“Oh god...oh god...N-Nathan..!” Max muffled her cry against his lips and  they both came undone.

As they fell together, he turned her to face him and the smile on her face did not break. Her small fingers brushed his hair out of his face, and she kissed him again.   
“Whatthefuckever,” he blushed, pouting about his face being sort of broken.

“Don’t give me sass, Nathan Prescott,” she warned, kissing him over and over. And Nathan smiled. His fingers intertwined with her hers, holding her hand.

“I meant every word when I told you I love you. You know that right?” Nathan asked. He didn’t want her to leave him again. The thought of that scared him more than Jefferson trying to hurt him.

She kissed his hand and looked back at him.   


“I know. And I love you too.”

He could never get used to her saying that. But he didn’t mind. Nathan didn’t feel alone anymore.

But she would be ripped away from him before he knew it. Far sooner than he would’ve wanted. **  
**


	10. The Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now Chloe finds out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS TOOK FOREVER

Nathan woke up midday with a throbbing headache and his eye hurting even more. His clock read three in the afternoon. And there was Max. Sleeping soundly, her back turned to him .   
He had no idea how many freckles she had dusted over her soft pale shoulders, her back.   
A smile crossed his face. Leaning over, Nathan moved his lips over her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her stomach.

His nose nuzzled in her soft brown hair, taking her all in. Max smelled like lilacs and his cologne. He was a part of her now.   
  


“Hey...hey Max,” Nathan whispered in her ear, his kisses trailing along her soft neck. She groaned and she turned towards a smiling Nathan. It was a sight that she would have never seen in her wildest dreams.   
It was like sunshine in a breaking storm. It was gentle. Kind. Warm. And she loved waking up to see him in the late afternoon.   
And the mood was broken when Max’s phone began to profusely buzz on Nathan’s desk. Max already knew who it was without having to get up.   
She sighed and left her lover’s arms to answer her phone, wrapping his blanket around her naked body to conceal what little she had to expose in the daylight. And of course. It was Chloe.

“Hey, Chloe--”  
“ _WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU THINKING_?” she yelled over the phone. She was furious. She could almost swear that Chloe was crying on the other line.

“Chloe…”

“YOU….You are...You’re sleeping with…” Chloe inhaled sharply. “I’m coming to get you right now. Be outside,”she said harshly. She hung up without another word.   
Max felt terrible. She felt tears brim her eyes and she almost fell the ground. She began to shake.

Nathan got up from the bed and he held her in his arms.   
He could hear Chloe yelling from his bed. And Max’s eyes betrayed her cool exterior. They were filled with tears and some slipped from her eyes.   
“Hey...do you want me to come with you?”

Max shook her head and tears flowed freely. He had never seen her cry before, and he knew this was his fault in one way or another. She collapsed in his arms and began to sob.  
“I’m...I’m so scared Nathan…” Max hiccuped in his chest. Her arms wrapped around him tightly and she just cried freely.   
She hadn’t cried at all. But she had seen Chloe die twice and Kate kill herself, and the whole fate of her town in her hands… the person she loved being beat to a pulp... Max had seen so much this week and she had been worn down by it. There was only so much strength she could muster. And now she just crumbled in Nathan’s arms. She couldn’t tell him about her rewind power.   
Nathan wouldn’t believe her. But she was scared. She was scared of what awaited her in the Dark Room, and Chloe’s wrath terrified her. The last thing she wanted was to have Chloe find out about Nathan right after unearthing Frank and Rachel’s secret relationship. Chloe could never forgive her.

Nathan  lifted her face and cupped it in his hands, wiping her tears. He kissed her softly on the mouth and he could feel warmth build up in him. This fuzzy feeling was going to get some taking used to, but as long as he was with Max, it would be worth it.   
  


“I’m scared too....I know you and her are trying to find Rachel. I can try and help you. I want to find her too,” he murmured in his hair, pulling her into his arms.   
He began to shake. His fear of what she would learn would be horrific. But it would bring him to closer to the truth of what really happened to her.   
“Let me come with you,” he pleaded.  His eyes begged her. “Please.”

Max nodded hesitantly. But the fear of Chloe trying to hurt him again terrified her.   
“Just...be tactful,” she warned.

* * *

 

“Why the FUCK is he here?” Chloe snapped gesturing to Nathan standing over by his truck, looking over at the two girls. Chloe was furious. She saw red and there was Max Caulfield, her traitorous friend.   
The one who slept with the enemy. Chloe was disgusted. She could barely look at Max without thinking about why or how many times she and Nathan...fucking christ, the thought made her physically sick.

  
Max came to Chloe with shame and a shred of dignity left in her. Chloe could see the lovebites that Nathan carelessly littered over her neck. The smell of Nathan’s cologne was on Max’s skin, and she scoffed.   
“Please, he can help us...he knows about the Dark Room!” Max exclaimed. “Chloe please...I’m begging you.” Max was on the verge of tears.   
And Chloe looked over at the Prescott jackass that nearly killed her in a bathroom. He still had a smug look on his face. But she could see the marks that MAX left on him.   
She didn’t want to know how long they were doing this. Chloe had to think about Rachel.

“If he double crosses me, I’ll pop a fucking cap in his ass,” she growled through gritted teeth. She turned away from Max with the most menacing glint in her eyes and she climbed in her truck. “Tell him to follow me, but not too close. We are going to a barn.”

Max felt the biggest wave of relief as Chloe drove off. She bolted over to Nathan and got in his own truck.   
“So what did she say?”

Max couldn’t look at him. “She said if you betrayed her, she’ll ‘pop a cap in your ass’.”

Nathan chuckled. She turned to him with a look of confusion.   
  


“You are a part of me now, I wouldn’t never leave you,” Nathan smiled at her and turned over the engine. And now he was finally going to get his revenge on that beast of a man Jefferson. Oh now he was going to face HIS wrath.   
  



	11. The Skeleton Key

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They find Rachel Amber in the worst possible way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its two am. and now my theories are coming into play now. so please go easy on me. enjoy. sorry it's so short otl.

The gravel crackled under tires as the three drove up to the giant abandoned barn owned by Sean Prescott. Nathan’s face went pale. Just seeing this place sent his stomach into somersaults and twisting in ways he never wanted to feel again.

_No...No god please no not this place…_

He could feel his heart racing. Palms were sweaty.   
“Nathan are you alright?” Max asked, noticing him almost shaking at the sight of the barn. His eyes were wide.   
“Max...how did you find this place? How did you--”

“What are you assholes waiting for? Come on!” Chloe yelled from the barn door. Clearly her patience was worn, and she was in no mood to put up with Nathan Prescott tagging along in finding Rachel.   
Max was still concerned about Nathan though. His hands became shaky as he left his truck and walked in Chloe’s general direction. His eyes said everything though, no matter how cool he tried to make himself.

He was fucking terrified.

Chloe leaned against the barn door with a scowl plastered over her usually smirking face. But now, she was furious. She felt betrayed all over again. First by her own father, then Rachel, and now Max. And she was sleeping with Nathan FUCKING Prescott. Piece of shit had to be playing her or something.   
Oh well, Max would deserve it since she turned her back and made love to the enemy.

“Come on, I don’t have all day,” Chloe snapped as she guided the two in. And what Max and Chloe found was quite anti-climatic. Just old tractors and hay. There was a giant trunk in the corner of the barn and old photos of Sean and Nathan hanging on a work bench.

But this was all Nathan had been seeing for weeks now…

“Don’t just stand around, help us look for clues, Prescott,” Chloe snapped at him, digging through his father’s things and rummaging for any shred of evidence that she could find to lead her to Rachel.  
Oh yeah she hated him.  But he tried to be civil. For Max’s sake he tried to be civil.   
“Chloe. I’ve been here before,” he said in a monotone voice. It hurt to say it but it was true. He had been here so many times before that it made him sick to his stomach. He didn’t want o be here but he also wanted to help and find out what happened to his friend.

“Well? What’s here?”

Nathan kicked away hay and revealed a large metal door in the floor. Oh god oh god oh god...His heart raced and his palms became sweaty.   
“Nathan what the fuck is this?” Chloe asked incredulously as he unlocked the door, leading them down the stairs. 

  
“Welcome to my hell,” he said softly as he unlocked the giant bunker that lay hidden underneath the Prescott barn.   
It was something out of a horror movie. All chrome and white decorated the large bunker. Dark and austere paintings decorated the whole area, and in the middle lay camera equipment. But Max remembered that he had was in his room, safe and tucked away in his camera on his desk along with some austere and dark photos of animals that he had tucked away.

But this was different. This was something that Max could have never imagined in her worst dreams.   
She saw a large cabinet filled with bright red  binders and it said girls’ names on them. But when Nathan opened up Rachel’s binder, Chloe and Max were met with horrors.   
Rachel was bound and photographed. And in some pictures, there was Nathan. Drugged and not even focusing on the person taking the shot.

“You son of a--” Chloe started, rearing her fist  to punch Nathan square in the jaw, but Max stopped her.   
“Chloe, don’t!”

Chloe angrily jerked around to yell at Max.   
“Do you have any idea what this fucking piece of garbage did? He hurt Rachel!” She turned back to Nathan and landed her fist of fury in his face. RIght where Warren had punched him earlier.

Nathan fell backwards into the cabinet making red binders fall on him. He let out a loud grunt of pain before Chloe dragged him back up by his jacket collar.  Tears brimmed her dark eyes and she was furious. She was ready to kill.   
“YOU.  YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! What did you do to Rachel? TELL ME RIGHT NOW!” she screamed, shaking him.

What would he tell her? He didn’t remember seeing Rachel the night she disappeared. Seeing those pictures set him off inside. What else didn’t he remember of Rachel?

But Chloe kept screaming and calling him terrible things. Scumbag. Shithead. Rotten Traitor. Useless...he snapped.

“ _Get off me, you psycho cunt_!” he yelled back, pushing a crazed Chloe off of him.  Nathan’s face was throbbing where she had punched him. Tears streaked his face.

He never wanted to see this again. This was all his fault and he knew that. Kate’s death too. He never wanted to hurt anyone. “Don’t-Don’t talk about shit you have no _FUCKING_ clue about!” he roared.

His throat was dry. These damn tears betrayed him.

“I-I-I didn’t hurt anyone! I don’t want to hurt anyone…”Nathan was sobbing now. Those images of Kate...poor Kate and he couldn’t do anything but just sit back and watch him pump her full of drugs and photograph her.

Nathan had to sit back and be the good boy and just follow directions. But he had enough. He didn’t want to hurt anyone else. And Rachel...he was so faded he didn’t even remember his own name.

  
And he knew that Vic and Max were next of that evil man’s hit list.

“Nathan…what did you do…”Max asked, horrified.   
And the way Max looked at him...it killed him. The last thing he wanted for her to distrust him and leave him all alone again to suffer. He wanted to be gone and away from this so desperately that he would give anything for it. His life even.

“I don’t remember what I did...but I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I don’t want to hurt…”his sobs drowned out his words and he broke down again. He shook. Trembled even. Max had never seen this side of him ever. Chloe was even shocked, but it didn’t derive from the fact that he said he didn’t want to hurt anyone. Who did he hurt? And if he hurt Rachel, Chloe wouldn’t think twice about killing him.

She kept staring at Rachel’s pictures, shaking and then she ways where she was. The Junkyard.   
“Max! We have to go to the junkyard now! There’s...there’s no way she’s dead! She can’t be!” Chloe bolted out of the bunker, leaving Max and Nathan alone. Chloe would go by herself anyways but Nathan had to find out the truth about Rachel. Why was she in the ground in that picture…?

* * *

Chloe was frantically digging at the spot she found in the picture with Max and Nathan. As much as she wanted Nathan to fuck off, Rachel was her only concern. And what she was met with was only a foul smell and rotten flesh.

“Rachel?? OH GOD NO….No!” Chloe was sobbing and heaving.   
But Nathan’s reaction was worse. He couldn’t even look at the body. He was trembling. Sobbing. Hyperventilating. Muttering to himself that this was _all his fault_ and he was _going to kill him_. He didn't stop apologizing. He didn't want to hurt anyone. He and Chloe were distraught.

**  
**Max was torn and horrified.

**It was a day where they found Rachel Amber. But not how they ever wanted to find her.**


	12. Draw Your Swords

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to grieve and get his revenge. But he is a broken boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry if this isn't as great as the other chapters.
> 
> WARNING: VIOLENCE

It took Chloe almost two hours to stop crying. She just stayed in her fetal position, sobbing. Finding Rachel dead in a shallow grave was something she could not stand, and Max was unable to help her.   
“Chloe...I’m so sorry…” she said softly. Max held her friend close to her as she cried. Chloe was no longer focused on Max’s betrayal to her, but now she was grieving over the girl she loved.   
  


“Wh-Who would do such a thing?” she hiccuped. Chloe’s usual strong arms fell limp around Max’s shoulders. Chloe was weak and she had seen too much and she didn’t expect such from their investigation in Rachel Amber’s disappearance.

Max held Chloe was she sobbed, but wheat disturbed her even more was that Nathan was standing away from them, silently. She could see the tears rolling down his cheeks and he was hyperventilating.

He kept muttering _‘Rachel…’_ over and over again while he cried. He wasn’t responsible for her death. There was no way he was.   
He at first mistook Max for Rachel the day she wore her clothes out in public. His neck almost snapped while looking to see whom could’ve been Rachel, but only Max. Not like seeing her was bad at all…

But there had to be a reason why he was in those pictures with Rachel, completely disconnected from reality. His usual stormy eyes were vacant in those dark photos, as if he had checked out of time and was never to return. He didn’t seem like he was posing at all...who took that photo of Nathan and Rachel in her possible last moments of life?

Max got up from Chloe, letting her dry her own bitter tears and went to Nathan. The look on his face broke her heart.

His grey-blue eyes were wide and bloodshot. His lip trembled as he cried. The bruise forming over his jaw was already forming from where Chloe punched him in the Dark Room. He was shaking uncontrollably. Nathan didn’t bother wiping his tears away. He just let them roll down his sore face.   
  


“Nathan...do...do you know what happened to her?” Max questioned, moving her hand to wipe his tears. But he grabbed her by her waist and he sobbed in her shoulder. His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. The only thing she could hear were his cries, and him whimpering

_‘This is all my fault…all my fault...’_ His voice was cracking. Nathan was a mess.

“This isn’t your fault, Nathan Prescott,” Max said softly, holding him close.

As soon as she said that, Nathan vehemently shook his head.

“Y-you d-don’t understand...h-h-he…” his voice was broken. “H-he made me…”

Max pulled away from Nathan. “Who made you do what? I don’t understand what you’re saying, Nathan.” He was scaring her.

But he didn’t listen to her. He never answered her question.

Fear wracked his entire body. He was going to kill Nathan too if he ever found out about him telling Max and Chloe about Rachel, and Kate, and now Victoria. His newfound bravery dissipated ever since they walked into his little piece of hell on Earth. And once again, he reverted back into being this cowardly little boy, hiding away from the men who hurt him so. The men who forced Nathan to bait girls just for his pleasure. So he could drug them, and force them into his sick and twisted little world that he called “art”.

****  


“Everyone wants to hurt me...I...I didn’t hurt Kate…” he whimpered. Max was terrified.

Who was he talking about? And why did that person want to hurt him? What exactly did Nathan do…?

“I didn’t hurt her...I didn’t, I swear, Max…."

* * *

 

Ironically enough, this night was the night of the Vortex Club’s big “End of the World” party. And Max had to go to warn Victoria about her possible fate in the Dark Room.

But with Nathan and Chloe still shaken about finding Rachel’s corpse in the junkyard, Max would have to go alone.   
  


“No. Fuck that, I need to find who did this. And YOU.” Chloe turned and snapped at Nathan. “You are going to tell me who did this Rachel, you understand me?”

Nathan couldn’t even look at Chloe, let alone Max. Max would hate him for what he was forced to do. She would leave him alone again and press all the blame on him.  
He needed her to protect him. But more importantly, he had to protect her from him…

Mark. Jefferson.

He was the one who harassed Nathan. He was the one who drugged all those helpless girls. And Nathan was his pawn. Sean didn’t care about Nathan being abused by another man and forcing him to kidnap girls for pleasure. No... Nathan wanted out. He never wanted this.

And watching Kate kill herself that rainy evening brought Rachel back into his head.   
Rachel was killed by Jefferson. The drugs overwhelmed her body and put her in a coma. Just seeing Kate throw herself over that fucking roof dragged him back to the Dark Room with Rachel. His never ending nightmare.

* * *

_“Nathan, I want you to get rid of her,” Mark said sternly._

_Nathan was sobbing over Rachel’s comatose body. She was cold, with the same furious expression painted over her beautiful face. Mark had fucked up and gave her too much._

_“Sh-she’ll wake up! Just put the fucking needle away!” he yelled, terrified. “R-Rachel...Rach please wake up…” he sobbed. But he knew all his efforts were in vain. She wasn’t coming back. Not this time._

__

_“NATHAN.” Mark walked over to the crying boy and smacked him across the face. “You do as I say, do you understand?” He grabbed Nathan by the hair without a look of anger or frustration. “You messed up again. And now poor Rachel Amber is dead because of you. Now get rid of her, before I have to kill her myself.”_

__

_“I--” SMACK!_

__

_“Nathan. I swear to god, I will make her death so painful you wish you were dead. Now GET. RID. OF. HER.”_

* * *

“Nathan.”

Max’s voice brought him back to the present. His body was still shaking from the horrid memory.   
“Nathan I need you to come with me to the party tonight. Please, we need to find who did this to Rachel. It is someone you know...right?”

Nathan nodded. He was quiet. His eyes burned from all the crying. He knew what Jefferson was going to do that night. Victoria was next, and he had to protect the girl who was like his sister from the monster who stole Rachel away. He had to protect Max. It was time to avenge his friend’s death. Though it was all his fault, he had to see the man responsible behind bars.

“I’ll go. I’ll go with you and Chloe.”


	13. Volatile Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This party is just worth dying over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY FOR THE HIATUS!!
> 
> I'll try and update more but I'm in school. But this chapter is for Laura (nathanprescious.tumblr.com).

The music was deafening.

It could have blown out Nathan’s eardrums if he wasn’t so used to blasting whale sounds in his headphones to at least soothe his anxiety. But the beat, the rhythm. It made him shake.

He KNEW Jefferson was here and he just was praying that he didn’t get to Max or Chloe first. The man was like a snake in the helpful disguise of a teacher that students think that they could trust. Oh how far from the truth those innocent souls were.

The smell of booze overpowered his senses. Liquor and beer was all he could smell besides sweat and chlorine. And the only thing on his mind was Max. She was his top priority. She had to be safe from that monster. She and Chloe had left to find Victoria and warn her of her possible fate in the dark room if she were not careful.

Nathan separated from them to corner Jefferson. And all he was met with were drunken idiots crossing his path. Where WAS that damned monster when he needed to find him the most? Jefferson always found him so why couldn’t he--

“Ah, Nathan. Aren’t you supposed to be expelled?” a voice reached to him from the dark corners of the crowded room.

Nathan could feel his skin crawl. Flesh frostbitten as Jefferson watched him. Nathan’s back was to the teacher that took Rachel’s life. Fury coursed through his veins, red hot. Nathan’s fists clenched. Fucking Chloe had his gun and Jefferson’s choice in weapon was a drug that lulled girls to sleep and another was one that created anyone to be a living zombie. Nathan was screwed.

“What’s it to you, old man? What I do is none of your fucking business.” His voice wavered. Jefferson began to walk up to Nathan. Fists clenched and unclenched. His heart raced.

“I own you. Whatever you do, whoever you do is my business. And I changed my mind about Victoria.”

Nathan’s heart fell through his chest and into his feet. Blood drained from his face. _No...no please don’t say it._

“Your little whore. She’s mine now. Its about time I tried something new.”

His voice was poison and the venom made its way to Nathan’s blood.

“Don’t you fucking DA--”

A piercing pain met his flesh as the needle sunk its way into Nathan’s neck. He could FEEL the drugs work their way in his system. His whole body fell numb. His dark grey blue eyes lost that vengeful luster the held. Nathan couldn’t think.

_Fuck. THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING! NonononONONONONONONO! Don’t hurt HER! ANYTHING BUT THAT._

“Sleep tight, Nate."

* * *

“Where the fuck is your boy-toy?” Chloe spat, cringing at the god fucking awful music that just blasted through the thousand dollar speakers around the pool. The air was thick and it was hard to even breathe in this small enclosure.

Finding Victoria was going to be so much harder than they initially thought.

Max shot Chloe a dirty look. “Stop that.”

“What? Am I wrong?” Chloe shrugged and Max rolled her eyes. She expected this sort of attitude from Chloe, and she was just bitter about the whole thing about Nathan, but still. It wasn’t cool.

“Can you be cool for once? We need to find Victoria and warn her,” Max snapped.

Chloe could barely hear her over the pounding headache that these rich kid assholes called “music”.

She shoved her hands in her pockets and kept guard as Max snuck into the VIP section of the party. And Victoria was blissfully ignorant. A smile was drawn across on her pretty face, illuminated by the red and purple strobe lights.

“Victoria?” The blonde turned and as soon as her deep sapphire eyes met Max’s face, she immediately let out a loud sigh of disgust.

“Ugh, who let Caulfield in here? Taylor, go find Courtney, she needs to watch the door--”

“Victoria, you have to listen to me. Someone here is going to take you somewhere and hurt you, please you HAVE to believe me.” Damn she said that a little too fast. Max’s usual calm voice was hasty. She sounded desperate.

Victoria scoffed. “Oh and I’m supposed to believe you? After what you did to Nathan? You get him expelled and he’s miserable as hell. Sure. Like that’s going to happen.”

And as she turned away, Max grabbed her arm. “Let go of me!”

“ _Nathan_ is the one who brought me here! He told me to warn you! I would never lie about this.”

Victoria’s face immediately softened. “You did help me when paint was splattered all over me.” She shook her head and looked back up at Max with a look of worry. “Is...is Nathan still here? I haven’t heard from him for a long time, and he’s just kind of gone MIA.”

What could Max even say?

That she was sleeping with Nathan and he was trying to find the perp that killed Rachel?

Not the best idea.

"I don't know where he is. But he told me to make sure that you stay safe."

Victoria looked like she was about to cry. Her lip almost started quivering. "Stay with Courtney and Taylor. Please..for Nathan."

Victoria nodded and bit her lip to stop from crying. Max let her go and enjoy herself with the rest of the Vortex Club, and as she walked off, she thought about Nathan. God she hoped he was okay, or showed the piece of shit that hurt her friends a piece of his mind.

"Chloe, we have to go. Victoria knows now."

Chloe groaned. "Finally. I can barely breathe with all this fucking rich kid sweat in my nose."

* * *

Trudging back to the entrance, to try and find Nathan, Chloe's phone buzzed.

**You made a big fucking mistake, you bitch. There won't be any evidence once I'm done with you.**

It was from Nathan's phone.

"Max I fucking KNEW IT! He was playing us the entire time!" Chloe exclaimed, shoving the phone is Max's face. Her heart dropped.

No. No this couldn't be..."Chloe this isn't..."

"It is! And you trusted him! I'm going to fucking KILL him! And you should have let me in the dark room!" Chloe yelled, dragging Max to her truck.

She could feel tears pricking her soft blue eyes. This couldn't be real.

No...no he swore that he didn't hurt them. This had to be a lie, a bad dream. It was too late to even rewind now... This couldn't be true...and Max vehemently refused to accept it.

* * *

"Come on Max. I told you I'd pop a cap in his ass if he double crossed me."

Max followed behind her friend, making sure not to makes a sound. The dried leaves in the junkyard made it hard to be stealthy but she tried.

The safety of Chloe's gun was off.

Her finger trembling and caressing the trigger.

Rachel's body was still there. Untouched. As lifeless as they found her that afternoon.

"I'm going to kill hi--"

Gunshots. Chloe was shot square in the forehead. That was all that Max could hear before feeling a piercing pain in her neck.

She couldn't even scream. She felt boneless. A rush of cold liquid was forced into her veins. Max moved her hand to rewind but...

"That little power won't work now." A deeper voice emerged from the darkness. The last person she was...

"Mr...Jefferson...?"

"Your little Prescott can't help you now."


	14. Purge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathan wakes up and she's gone.
> 
> Max wakes up and there's Jefferson. But as soon as she wakes up, she falls into another nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA finally. 
> 
> Sorry if this chapter sucks. I'm making this as i go rip me lol

 

Nathan’s head was throbbing. The last thing he could possibly remember was Jefferson injecting drugs into his veins, and everything went black.    
But here he was, by the pool, jacket damp with sweat and water. He hoped to god it was water that seeped through his sleeves, and not the overwhelming odor of vodka.

 

Everyone was gone. The DJ had packed up their things and left when the party had become the desolate swimming area once again. 

It looked like something from a post apocalyptic movie of sorts. Red solo cups that once held cheap beer and liquor floated aimlessly in the pool. Ripped up paper to what seemed like scratch papers for exchanging numbers littered across the tiles. 

 

And Nathan’s vision was still blurry from that shit nap that Mark Jefferson had forced him into. Struggling to get back on his feet, his legs shook like a newborn faun’s. How the hell was he supposed to walk anywhere if he couldn’t even support his own weight? Hobbling over to where the “bar” used to be, Nathan caught his breath and evened himself out. The haunting color of blue washed over the pool area and the realisation hit him. 

 

Where were Max and Chloe? 

Nathan’s palms became sweaty. His eyes went wide. Tremors overcame his entire body and the shaking didn’t stop.    
He had been out for so long that Jefferson could have done anything with them. He could have lead them both to their tragic demises...and he would be the blame of it all. 

 

He led the girl he had blossoming feelings for...he lead her to her…

 

No. No he couldn’t think like that. He couldn’t. 

 

But that grim and dark possibility rang out to him more than any other hopes of her being alright. He could just imagine it now. Jefferson would be taunting him the minute he would step foot in that hell on earth prison which he  cleverly  dubbed, The Darkroom. 

That dark chuckle.    
“Oh Nathan. Nate, Nate, Nate. Did you really honestly think that you would actually keep her safe? Did you really think you could atone for killing Rachel?”

 

Nathan felt like he was going to be sick. His stomach lurched at the idea of Max being propped and posed like a lifeless doll by sinewy fingers that sucked the innocence and life from all that he touched.

* * *

 

Max had woken up groggy. Her head was pounding relentlessly. Toes felt like there were pins and needles in the ground.    
Max’s entire body was engulfed with a pain that was similar to the burning the drugs had created for her before she fell into her mindless slumber. 

 

She saw a gray scale color palette before her eyes. Harsh lights hit her sensitive eyes and a soft clinking of keys hitting a desk was all she could hear.    
Her nose was bleeding from all the rewinding and manipulation of this timeline.

Wiggling her fingers, Max regained the sensation back in her limbs and appendages. But she couldn’t move. 

 

She was stuck. Bound. 

Max couldn’t even stand up. Ankles and wrists were held by jet black duct tape. 

Her eyes widened as she saw Jefferson moving over to her with a sick smile drawn over his face.    
This was a man that she could trust. He was her teacher for fuck’s sake! How could he… 

 

“Ah finally, Miss Maxine Caulfield. You’re awake.”

 

Max’s brows furrowed. Mark Jefferson was the man she saw when the gun went off.    
It was he who pulled the trigger and killed her best friend.

 

“You sent the text,” Max spat. Her light blue eyes focused on the murderous teacher arranging his tripod in front of her. “You. You killed Chloe.”

 

“Chloe?” Mark paused his actions. 

He then resumed with a click of his tongue in realization. “Ah yes. Chloe. That fake hipster punk. A shame. She had to just walk in on the mess Nathan had made.”

He shook his head and readied his syringe once again. 

 

“Where is Nathan?” Max demanded, wriggling in the binds, trying to loosen them. 

No use. The adhesive on her wrists tore at her skin and pulled at the light hairs on her arms. 

 

“Dead and buried.” 

 

Her heart stopped. Max could feel time stop. Her skin became cold. 

“No...no. H-he can’t be…” Tears of shock ran down her pale cheeks. He fingers trembled and she began to thrash in the chair.

 

“Oh that is perfect, Maxine. Raw emotions. I love it,” Mark praised, words dripping like toxins from his lips.

He reached for his camera and readied himself to take the shot.

 

Kneeling down, his finger hovered over the button, then he felt a wet glob hit him in the face. It dripped down his forehead and into his eye. She spat at him. Max had just spat at him. 

 

Looking up at his subject, Max’s face had contorted to one of pure hatred. One of fury and vengeance. Bitter tears still ran down like waterfalls, but she was hot with anger. 

“Eat shit and die, you motherfucker,” she hissed at him. 

 

Wiping away the saliva from his forehead and using his sleeve to clean himself off, Mark had gotten up from his stance on his knee and towered over the girl burning with spite. He had enough of her insolence. 

“Miss Caulfield, I think you had been spending a bit too much time with Nathan. Thankfully for you, you’ll be joining him soon. And your lesbian friend can go back to being Rachel’s lapdog once again.”

 

He turned to grab the syringe full of the clear fluid that sent her in her sleepy stupor. 

Max grew pale again. 

 

“Get that shit away from me! You’ll never get away with this!” Max was kicking and screaming. 

Mark had grabbed her kicking foot and forced it back down on the ground. Max was whimpering and still wiggling. His free hand hand went up to Max’s throat and his thumb pressed at the pressure point in her neck.    
Max couldn’t breathe.    
“Shut the fuck up, and just be quiet. I’ll kill you if you don’t.” 

 

The needle went in. All she could feel was this hot burn that she had felt earlier that night when Jefferson had prevented her from rewinding and saving her friend’s life. 

 

“Sleep well, Max.”

Max’s eyes fluttered shut. Darkness had swallowed her. It almost welcomed her in the constricting embrace it provided. 

 

And when she found herself awake once again, Jefferson was gone. Her body felt lighter. And there was Nathan, alive and well, sitting on the gray couch in front of her. 

 

“Nathan! I was so wor--” She was stuck to her chair still. 

  
He scoffed, cutting her off. “Pathetic. You honestly believe I care what you thought? You’re lamer than I thought.” 


	15. Madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The darkroom has been unveiled. But who saves her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for my hiatus

Max squirmed in the chair she was locked to. Nathan’s voice sounded so close but he was miles away from her. That unforgiving scowl on his face stabbed her. Impaled her. 

He had his legs crossed and his arms draped over the gray couch. His frown was directed at her and only at her. 

 

“How could you honestly think I cared about you? After you left me for dead? After you let your beta male beat me to a pulp? Get over yourself, Caulfield.”

 

Max could feel the tears sting her eyes. She couldn’t blink. Her throat was closing up.    
This couldn’t be real. There was no way he could look at her with so much hatred clouding his eyes. He couldn’t hate her...could he?

 

“You were just some easy fuck. Hate fucking. God I can’t believe how desperate you are.”

The words dripped from his lips like dark toxin. They were acidic and they burned her. Ugly words left scars on her heart. 

 

She couldn’t hold back her tears. Unable to breathe or form the voice to beg him to just come to his senses, she let out quiet sobs.    
Out of the corner of the room, she heard a feminine chuckle. 

 

Max lifted her head to see a pair of dead looking eyes staring right back at her. Blood ran down from a hole in her forehead. Chloe. She was dead! She had to be!

 

“What’s wrong, Mad Max? Cat got your tongue?”    
Max’s eyes were teasing her. This had to be the drugs in her system.    
  


“Ch--Chloe!” Max choked. 

 

But the older girl didn’t turn to her. Instead, she walked over to Nathan, sitting beside him.    
He wiped the blood from her wound and gently kissed where the pain was.    
“Red doesn’t suit you. It suits the liars in the room.”

 

Both of them turned their heads to her and flashed her horrendous grins. She could hear them giggling and talking about her. 

 

“She’s so gullible.”

 

“What a child.”

 

“She can’t even save one person.”

 

“Are you kidding? She can barely tell the truth. What a fucking liar.”

 

“Who forgets about their friend’s for five years?”

 

“Who fucks someone who has killed her best friend in another timeline?”

 

Max wanted to scream. Her chair rocked back and forth and thrashed around. She needed to get out. She had to run away. Far away. 

 

But as soon she woke up, she was knocked out again. Her eyes fluttered shut as they hissed the last backstabbing comment about her. Blackness swallowed her whole. Max could feel her nerves freeze into icicles. She couldn’t move. 

 

Her eyes fluttered open to see pink. Pinks and reds washed over the once dreary room and she saw the Devil. The Devil stood behind a camera and donned white gloves and white rimmed glasses. For such an evil entity, he favored such angelic aura. He adored her innocence. Innocence before death. 

 

“Ah, you’re awake again.” Mark Jefferson frowned at her disapprovingly. “Hey now. What’s with such a hateful face. Angels don’t frown like that.”

 

“Fuck you,” Max spat. She felt something thick run from her nose. Blood.    
Max Caulfield wasn’t one to be queasy about something like blood anymore, since a nosebleed was frequent in times like these. Her time traveling had made her body weak. 

“Oh dear. Your nose. It’s bleeding.” Gloved fingers grazed gently below her nostrils to wipe the crimson liquid from her face. A gentle touch made her want to pounce and rip him to shreds. 

Max jerked away from him. 

 

Max had glared at the Devil. Twin sapphires bored into his soul. The Devil felt a chill run through him. Excitement and euphoria tickled his nerves.    
“Oh Max, what a raw emotion you are displaying.  A helpless young girl with a fire that burns brighter than tens of thousands of stars. I love it.” He made his way back to his camera. “It’s such a shame that I have to get rid of you after this. But let us savor the moment.” 

 

“Where is he? Where did you put him?” Max growled. 

 

The Monochromatic Devil stood dead in his tracks. The room felt stiff.    
“Why do you care? You beat him until his nose broke. His face was like a bruised peach. Maxine, hatred is a strong emotion. And it was shown in what you did to him.”

“I cared more about Nathan than you would ever know! I cared more than you did!”

 

“How? By fucking him and beating him?”

 

Max’s fists clenched.    
  


“Trust me, Maxine. I know. Nathan has his...uses.”

 

A sickening feeling was building in the pit of Max’s stomach. That grin. He knew and he...he used him. Abused him. Nathan had no one. Not his father, not Victoria, no one! She hurt him but she did care about him. And he cared about her too in the end, right? 

 

“You’re fucking disgusting.” 

 

He didn’t respond to her. He simply refilled her dosage and continued to mutter to himself.    
But before they knew it, a loud banging noise echoed from the stairwell that led to the bunker.    
  


“Nathan?” 

 

Jefferson dropped the drugs and reached for a gun in the lower drawer. Max was ready to scream as a warning.    
He tucked it away on a black shelf. 

 

Two men burst into the room. David...Nathan. 

“You LIED!”

 

“Jefferson! It’s over, you sick bastard!” David bellowed. Two guns were pointed at him. Nathan held up the gun he used to shoot Chloe in the first timeline.    
He looked wet and pale. His jacket was gone. David was red in the face.

 

“He’s hiding a gun! Run!” Max screamed, leaning far out of her chair. Tears ran down her cheeks and she pulled the cord with her foot. 

 

“You are NOT going to stop me!”

  
Multiple shots could be heard. A light fell. Blood splattered around the room. 


End file.
